EIGHT women caught up in a breast-cancer scare have been recalled because of doubts about the accuracy of their screening results.

More than 2,000 files are being urgently reviewed after it was revealed that a number of mammograms carried out at Trafford General and North Manchester General Hospitals over a two-year period might be suspect.

There have been more than 500 calls to a special NHS Direct helpline set up to cope with anxious women who could be affected.

The Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust, which has suspended a health worker involved in the screening process, says more patients will be recalled as the case review continues. A recall does not necessarily mean a woman has cancer.

A spokesman for the trust said: "Of the total number of files we are reviewing, only a small number will have a potential problem, an even smaller number will mean a patient having to be recalled for further investigation, and an even smaller number will have anything actually wrong."

Health bosses say 520 women have so far called the helpline, but more than 200 have not been relevant to the inquiry.

The trust spokesman said: "Calls that are relevant to the review are passed on to our team at Trafford where information and help can be given as quickly as possible.

"Callers are obviously very anxious and worried, but in the vast majority of cases they are quite rational, and simply need information and reassurance."

Patients who have been recalled - the first were last Friday - are immediately contacted by a specialist breast cancer nurse.

Review

The spokesman said: "In most cases we have done our best to reassure them that there is not necessarily anything for them to worry about.

"There will be more recalls as we progress with the review, but only a small number."

The review involves patients referred to either of the two hospitals between April 2003 and April this year.

The suspended health worker, though employed by Trafford, has also carried out work at North Manchester Hospital.

The scare was sparked off by anxiety about the accuracy of three specific results.

Causes for concern in each case had already been picked up by other clinicians.

Health bosses have made it clear that the review does not involve anyone who underwent routine checks under the NHS breast screening programme during the same two-year period.

The Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust says it will make no further statement about the suspended health worker until the review is complete, which may not be until the end of next week.

THE NHS Direct telephone Helpline - 01204 599 598 - is open between 8am and 8pm.

If you have been affected by the breast cancer scan scare, please call our newsdesk on: 0161 2112323 or emailnewsdesk@men-news.co.uk